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Rome
'''Founders: '''Romulus and Remus '''Notable Emperors: '''Romulus(753 BC-717 BC), King Sextus Tarquinus, Pompey the Great(52-51 BC),Julius Caesar(49 BC-44 BC), Marc Antony, Augustus Caesar(27 BC-14), History Perhaps the greatest empire in human history, Rome spanned three continents and hundreds of years. While a unique entity on its own, its roots can be traced back to the city of Troy. After the Trojan War, Greece burned the city to the ground; few survived, and those that did united under the hero Aeneas. Their homeland destroyed, the group wandered the Mediterranean for many years. After briefly stopping in Carthage, starting a rivalry with the young city that would last for many years, the Trojans finally decided to arrive in Latium, where they joined with the native peoples. While life was fairly difficult for the new nation, it survived for many years. The lineage of Aeneas eventually produced Numitor, king of Alba Longa, whose brother, Amulius, overthrew. Fearing a rightful heir to usurp him, he ordered Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silva, to become a Vestal Virgin and never produce children. His order went unheeded, though, by the god Ares, who seduced and impregnated Rhea; she gave birth to twins, boys named Romulus and Remus. Enraged, Amulius ordered the twins murdered, his order, again, was ignored, as the servant could not bring himself to harm such beautiful children. He instead left the pair in the woods, where a she-wolf arrived to care for the pair, and eventually Romulus and Remus were adopted by a kindly shepherd. The two grew up to follow in their adoptive father's footsteps; eventually, however, Remus was captured due to a minor scuffle by Amulius and, their identity discovered, Romulus lead an army to slay the king. However, rather than take the throne for themselves, they left Alba Longa to their grandfather and left to create their own city, along with various criminals and disgraced individuals. The two, however, disagreed over where to found it; Romulus favored the Palatine Hill, while Remus preferred the Aventine. The two waited for an omen, but could not agree over this, either; eventually, Romulus killed his brother, and founded his own city in his own name: Rome. Founded in 753 BC, Rome grew slowly, for lack of women. Romulus attempted to negotiate for land with the neighboring Sabines; however, war became inevitable. The Roman army was able to crush their enemies, and took their wives as their own. This event became known as the "Rape of the Sabine Women," and the blood of Ares, now known as Mars to the new Roman people, was shown to flow thickly in the new nation. With the death of his grandfather, Romulus absorbed his homeland into the growing Rome; with Sabine and Alba Longa now under control, Romulus established the governmental system of the Roman Senate and governors, with a king in power. He continued to rule for many years, a benevolent king, but disappeared suddenly in 717 BC; many assume he was taken to live with the gods, and became known as the deity Quirinius. For the next two centuries, the kingdom of Rome continued to grow under the reign of the "Seven Kings of Rome." Many advances occurred in this period, but the kings themselves became debauched on a scale unseen before. The final king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, had a son who considered himself above the law. Sextus Lucius, Prince of Rome, saw the woman Lucretia, and wanted her for himself, she refused, and that night, he entered her room, awoke her with a kiss, and raped her. Lucretia took her own life in shame, and a rebellion began. Lead by Lucius Junius Brutus, better known simply as Brutus, the king was deposed and replaced with a republic in 509 BC. Now the Roman Republic, lead by a pair of consuls, including Brutus himself, the city began to expand yet again. Before long the entire Italian Peninsula was under their control, and the other empires of the world took notice. To the south, Carthage, longtime rival, began to see Sicily slipping for their control, while the tribes of the north began to fear for their own safety. In 387 BC, Brennus, the Celtic warlord, invaded and sacked Rome; almost two centuries later, in 192 BC, Brennus entered into an alliance with Hannibal Barca, leader of Carthage. The two long-standing enemies of Rome became a major enemy to the growing empire, and in a battle that would, perhaps, decide the fate of the region, the forces of the region clashed. Rome came out victorious; Carthage was burned to the ground, and Brennus was killed in battle. Not long after, they were able to conquer Greece, despite heavy resistance in areas such as Sparta. With much of the known world under their control, Rome became a cultural center. The gods of old Greece found new life in Rome, with temples to Jupiter, Ares, and others erected across the republic. Gladiatorial combat, too, was a symbol of Roman culture; throughout the empire's existence, countless men and beasts were put to death in the Colosseum, along with brutal races on the Circus Maximus. People were thrown to lions, forced to fight to the death, and exotic animals were brought out to the slaughter. Occasionally, even monsters were summoned to battle. Yet, as with any new power, there were those that resisted. Figures such as the braggart Miles Gloriosus and corrupt slavers like Marcus Lycus did little to help the reputation of Romans as bull-headed, and their squabbles over women gave foreign nations the impression of licentiousness. Rebellions - particularly the one led by Spartacus in 73 BC - rocked the empire to its core, as he fought to overthrow the system of slavery Rome had installed. The loyalty of his men was stunning, and the brutal crackdown following did more to harm his cause than aid it. Further north, the Gallic tribes continued to fight against Rome, such as those led by Asterix. The one who defeated Spartacus and clashed with the Gauls became known across the empire as Julius Caesar. After his famed Gallic Wars, Caesar became famous across Rome. However, the Roman Senate feared his power among the people, and ordered him to stand down, he disobeyed and, in 49 BC, proclaiming "alea iacta est; or, the die is cast, he crossed the Rubicon and marched on Rome. He quickly consolidated power after a brief civil war, and proclaimed himself dictator for life, effectively killing the Roman Republic. The Senate remained, and the senators began to conspire against Caesar; in a motion lead by his close friend Marcus Brutus, descended from the leader of the first Roman revolution, Caesar was killed on the Ides of March in 44 BC on the steps of the Senate. Mark Antony, a close friend of Caesar's, attempted to follow in his footsteps; Octavian, Caesar's son, did the same. While Octavian and Antony were originally allies during the civil war following Caesar's death, their relationship quickly soured, as Antony was unfaithful to Octavian's sister. All the while, Cleopatra, who had carried out an affair with Caesar and later Antony, was attempting to protect her position as Queen of Egypt. The three lives intersected in 31 BC at the Battle of Actium, as Antony and Cleopatra's fleet was defeated by Octavian's. The two lovers shortly after committed suicide. Antony chose to fall on his own sword, while Cleopatra was bitten by an asp. Octavian took after his father, proclaiming himself Augustus Caesar and Emperor of Rome. Thus began the age of the Roman Empire. On the whole, the empire was prosperous; following Augustus's ascent was the Pax Romana, a period of internal peace and vast expansion, with soldiers sent as far north as Britain and the noble Five Good Emperors ruling. Generals such as Marcus Decimus Gallus, leader of the IX Roman Legion, and Maximus Decimus Meridius, great conqueror and later killer of the corrupt Emperor Commodus, gained great reputation across the land. Technological advances, too, were many; not only in warfare, but in general sciences, including a now-lost machine with the ability to travel through time, albeit on a small scale. In addition, the introduction of new religions brought an influx of culture to the region. Having absorbed Jerusalem and other traditionally Jewish regions into the empire, monotheism became more common, and resistance movements by would-be messiahs were common, and figures such as Judah Ben-Hur and Marcellus Gallio. Some, such as Jesus Christ founded great religions that would last for millennia. Others, such as Brian Cohen, founded short-lived failures of faith. After the reign of the Five Good Emperors, starting in 180 AD, the Empire entered a decline; as with any dynasty less-than-ideal emperors came into power. Commodus, consumed by his love of blood and violence, was eventually killed in battle by the aforementioned Maximus. Caligula's reign was marked by its sexual and violent depravity. Nero was thought by many Christians to be the antichrist for his persecution of them, and during the Great Fire of Rome, which some historians believe may have been caused by the emperor, he simply played the fiddle. The people, too, became selfish and greedy, throwing extravagant parties to impress their friends and neighbors. With rulers ranging from bad to worse, Rome was constantly menaced by barbarian tribes from the north, such as the Goths and the Vandals; most generals, including Titus Andronicus, gained their glory fighting these foes, as opposed to the empires of their ancestors. Some, like the Celtic tribes in Britain, refused to be conquered; though the Emperor Hadrian built a wall to protect Roman settlements there, they were pushed back, and other than some select groups (many of which were able to settle underground), the islands were abandoned. It was not until the reign of Diocletian in the 3rd Century that Rome regained its glory; his son, Constantine I, followed in his father's footsteps. Under Constantine, however, two great changes occurred, the capital was moved from Rome to Constantinople, and the state religion became Christianity. The Christians had long been persecuted by the Roman Empire, but had grown despite this, becoming the largest faith in the region. After the death of Constantine, the empire split in two; the western half remained centered in Rome, while the Byzantine Empire, as it came to be known was born around Constantinople. The Roman Empire again entered into a decline, subject to raids and attacks by many barbarian tribes from the north, while the eastern half flourished. In 476, the child emperor Romulus Augustulus abdicated again, on the Idea of March and Rome dissolved. However, following this period was the rule of Lucius Tiberius. Ruling from Rome, he could not recapture most of the empire; however, he did reclaim some regions of Gaul, and even attempted to take back the Roman colonies of Britain. This brought him into contact with King Arthur of England, whom he did battle with on many occasions. However, after his death, Rome again fell to pieces, this time, permanently; Italy fractured into independent states, and remained as such until Vittorio Emanuele II reunified the peninsula in the late 19th Century. However, most, if not all, future European empires would take inspiration from the Romans, primarily those in Italy, such as the fascist dictatorship ruled by Benzino Napaloni. However, no other nation would ever reclaim the power of the empire at its height – and, more than likely, no other will.Category:Locations Category:Countries